Nick Clearwater Shows Hailey What It’s Like To Get A GOLFTEC Lesson
By Ryan Gager
Ever wonder what it’s like to get a lesson at GOLFTEC? Or maybe you’ve been in before but want a refresher on some topics that are discussed in a lesson. GOLFTEC’s Nick Clearwater takes professional golfer Hailey Ostrom through a GOLFTEC Lesson in this edition of Data Driven. A common fault that Hailey has been working on is early extension, which causes inconsistent contact through impact. This will be Nick’s focus with Hailey in this lesson. For an intro into GOLFTEC lessons be sure to check out the Top 5 Reasons to take a lesson at GOLFTEC.
Early Extension and Lifting The Trail Foot Off The Ground
Hailey does a good job of extending or bending backward in her swing. However, it’s the timing of this extension that Nick is working on with Hailey.
As you see in Hailey’s swing, the heel of her trail foot comes completely off the ground before her club makes impact with the ball. In comparison, as PGA Tour professional Corey Conners swings through impact, his trail foot doesn’t come off the ground until after impact.
This leads to a more vertical inclination to the ground for Hailey. (See the blue arrows going through their backs) The more vertical your inclination to the ground, the harder it is to make consistent contact.
Working To Keep The Trail Foot Down
In a GOLFTEC lesson, we focus on what each individual needs to work on. In Hailey’s case, it’s keeping her trail foot down through impact.
To do this, Nick puts a 9-iron under the heel of Hailey’s foot and has her make some swings while focusing on keeping her foot down so that the club doesn’t fall. Nick explains that Hailey should put more weight and pressure on the heel of her foot throughout the entire shot, instead of the toe, which causes her to lift her heel before impact.
Nick has Hailey hit a series of shots using this method, so she can start getting more comfortable with her new swing.
In just a few swings, Hailey’s trail knee flex went from 40 degrees to 24 degrees on her downswing when the shaft is parallel to the ground, a 16-degree difference! She will continue working on this so that her knee flex gets closer to 0 degrees.
As with any lesson you take at GOLFTEC, it definitely will require some time, effort and practice to groove your new and improved swing. Also as Nick points out, when you’re changing your swing, you almost have to ignore where the ball goes at first, until you start to get more comfortable with the swing change. To find your new and improved swing be sure to stop in to your local GOLFTEC today and set up a Swing Evaluation. A certified GOLFTEC Coach will analyze your swing and recommend a game plan custom built for you to help you play better golf and reach your goals.
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